4 local teens arrested at abandoned Hanson hospital

Hanson police urge residents to stay away from the long-abandoned Plymouth County Hospital, known as a haunted destination.

Staff Reporter

HANSON – In some corners of the Internet, Hanson is most famous for its haunted hospital.

The long-abandoned Plymouth County Hospital, opened in 1916 for tuberculosis patients, today is an “attractive nuisance,” luring ghost hunters and thrill seekers from all over the area. The hospital is also extremely dangerous, police say, and no one should tempt fate by exploring its crumbling interior.

The arrest last week of four Rockland teenagers in the hospital’s parking lot prompted Hanson police to warn the public again against trespassing at the town-owned property.

“Basically the building is falling down,” Lt. Joseph Yakavonis said. “We have no tolerance. We just don’t want people down there.”

Last Thursday night, shortly before 7 p.m., a Hanson officer on patrol spotted the teens and arrested them on a trespassing charge.

Among haunting enthusiasts, the Hanson hospital is known for its extensive grounds and ominous appearance. The Spanish-style complex sits on 56 acres, surrounded now by a chain-link fence and keep-out signs.

Those behind haunted hospital websites, virtual warehouses of details on scare spots like Taunton State Hospital and the Danvers State Insane Asylum, describe Hanson’s abandoned hospital as filled with strange noises, screams, laughter and music.

Producers from the television show Ghost Hunters have reached out to Hanson officials, seeking use of the hospital for an episode, Yakavonis said. They were denied because the complex is too dangerous.

The hospital, originally purchased by the town after Plymouth County closed it in 1991, was once the site of a potential senior housing development and has also been used for public safety training. In 2004 and 2006, suspicious fires ravaged portions of the complex.

Today the greatest dangers are exposed asbestos and floors that could cave in. Parts of the structure are so badly deteriorated, Yakavonis said, that they are essentially collapsed already.